Amit Shah clears air on toll-free CAA number

New Delhi: After a controversy erupted regarding the BJP’s public contact programme number in the social media, that it was linked to internet television providers or lurid phone chat services, BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday clarified that a phone number which party leaders have shared on social media for people to call in order to show support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has nothing to do with streaming giant Netflix.

“Since yesterday, rumours are being spread that the number belongs to some channel called Netflix. I would like to clarify that the number never belonged to Netflix. Rather it is BJP’s toll free number,” Mr Shah said at a rally in the national capital.  

Amit Shah said rumours were being spread about the number and noted that it belonged to his party and not to Netflix, as claimed in some posts.

The BJP hit out at opposition parties after several memes and misleading posts emerged on social media about the number (8866288662).  The BJP, facing protests over the citizenship law in several parts of the country, has asked supporters to give a missed call on the toll-free number. Several leaders have shared the number on Twitter.

Later in the day, noting that vulgar claims are also being made, such as people can speak to lonely girls by dialling this number, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the exercise should not be reduced to ridicule.  “Opposition leaders are doing politics over such a positive step,” Patra said, adding that the BJP has worked to fix a decades-old issue like citizenship for persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries  by enacting the CAA.  

The BJP leader also hit out at Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan over his tweets targeting the Modi government and the RSS.